One of ours,Didi mini transat number 735

This was the boat kit that started CKD Boats cc,that was about nine years back,the boat was launched two years back at the RCYC,prooving that speed on your build program is not everything,progress is.

Tata introduce an air powered car

Air Powered Car ( or a great boat engine!)

Roy

Tata Motors is ready to introduce Air Car - will it be the next big thing? Tata Motors is taking giant strides and making history itself. First the Land Rover/Jaguar deal, then the world's cheapest car, and now it is also set to introduce the car that runs on compressed air.

With spiraling fuel prices it is about time we heard some breakthrough!


India's largest automaker, Tata Motors, is set to start producing the world's first commercial air-powered vehicle.

The Air Car, developed by ex-Formula One engineer Guy N?gre for Luxembourg-based MDI, uses compressed air, as opposed to the gas-and-oxygen explosions of internal-combustion models, to push its engine's pistons. Some 6000 zero-emissions Air Cars are scheduled to hit Indian streets by August 2011.

The Air Car, called the "MiniCAT" could cost around Rs. 3,475,225 ($8,177.00) in India and would have a range of around 300 km between refuels.

The cost of a refill would be about Rs. 85 ($2..00)

The MiniCAT which is a simple, light urban car, with a tubular chassis that is glued, not welded, and a body of fiberglass powered by compressed air. Microcontrollers are used in every device in the car, so one tiny radio transmitter sends instructions to the lights, indicators, etc.

There are no keys - just an access card which can be read by the car from your pocket. According to the designers, it costs less than 50 rupees per 100 Km (about a tenth that of a petrol car). Its mileage is about double that of the most advanced electric car (200 to 300 km or 10 hours of driving), a factor which makes a perfect choice in cities where 80% of motorists drive at less than 60 Km. The car has a top speed of 105 Kmph.

Refilling the car will, once the market develops, take place at adapted petrol stations to administer compressed air. In two or three minutes, and at a cost of approximately 100 rupees, the car will be ready to go another 200-300 kilometers.

Toylander 250 watt 12 Volt DC motor and gear box

It finally arrived yesterday,once found,the correct gear ratios were the next stage,we still need to engineer the drive sprockets to the wheels but this is in hand.

The quality underlines why they cost what they do,with a running life of over 3000 hours it should be good value.

The gear box has a nice lip seal to keep dust and water out of the internal oil bath.

Hillman Imp timing chain test on a 998cc motor build

Without some fancy test gear to measure stretch and twist on a used Timing Chain,a fair test is to lay a good used one next to a known new one and see what deflection there is,not a perfect test but it will be better than none.

This pair of timing chains look about the same,the one closest to the camera will ( i think) be the new one but you can get the idea,left click for a better sized view. The engine block is a newly built 998cc unit,probably the only one in Africa,we can build to order no problems. 

Tiki 30 Wharram cat takes third spot

Bill was the first customer to order all his Wharram Tiki 30 materials from us,he also asked us to make the cross beam sections,mast,boom and gaff. Bill recently did the 2010 Govenor's Cup Race to the island of St Helena,he arrived third in class!

Since the start of his order we have supplied materials to a second Tiki 30 and are now part way through the supply of a third boat,plus a Tiki 38 which should be ready to launch any day now.

Picture is from the FBYC web pages,many thanks.

Lonestar arrives at St Helena Isle after a very fine performance in the large fleet.
the boat is now for sale,contact me for details.We can dismantle this kind of craft and ship in a container world wide.

Roy

Roy and Holly

This is myself with Holly,she came down with her brother Ben and mum and dad,Lorna and Brett for a quick visit a few months back.

Sails and wings and a happy customer

There is very little difference in the sails on our yachts  and the wings of a plane it seems, its the same with materials too.The wings on this small plane are made from Dacron,same as with many yachts.

The device is not a  toy,its a real one man plane! we are supplying the glues to laminate a new wooden propellor from,plus epoxies for saturation and coating with 6oz glass cloth.

The plane is a motorised hang glider not to be confused with a Trike Microlight

The Prop is 42 " and the motor is a Konig 3 cylinder Radial 2 stroke of 20 Hp the total weight of the under carriage with 8 lts  of fuel is 32KG.

I attatch a photo of the aircraft I will later send you pictures of the prop

Roy


Yours is the most efficient company that I have delt with in a very long time.

Do you have a spec sheet on the Epoxy I am particularly interested in the tempreature range it can handle.

Many thanks

Regards Tony

BioMagic-Anchor

We were the South African importers for the US made Bio-Magic for some years but dropped it for a number of reasons,we now find a better product is now being made in the UK and marketed by Travena,a company we have had the pleasure of selling to.

BioMagic Anchor Odour Control

Keep bad odours where they belong! No bad smell anymore.

New formula for caravans, boats, motor homes, kitchens, bathrooms and catering facilities in caravan parks or camp sites. Prevents build up of calcium (no scale build up in the tank).

http://www.travena.co.uk/biomagic-anchor-odour-control.htm

Try the link,orders in the UK are ex Travena,Southern Africa from CKD Boats cc .
 
Roy

021 790-3859 Cape Town,phone and fax line.

International Paints,also Plascon range

We have used and sold International Paints for around fourteen years,now we can offer the Plascon range,including tinting to special orders.

Marine paints ex the Cape Town depot.

With the Plascon range now available to us we can supply their Glatex Eight brand range of twin pack polyurethanes,plus have colours mixed in other types of paints in packs as small as a one liter tin.Ideal for trim and water lines on yachts and motor boats.

Toylander brakes and drive gear

Again we are revisiting the Toylander engineering,its taken some while but at last we have sourced an electric motor and gear box ex stock in South Africa.The motor is 12 volts dc,180 watt output,with a gear box thats 40 to 1 reduction,which on its own will make the Toylander a little too fast,so a further reducion will be done at the chain to axle drive gear.

This is as the plans are drawn and it works too but we will change some positions slightly and add a special long screw nut on the foot brake adjuster to make things easy to adjust.

A picture says a lot more than words they say,the manual is full of pictures and a real help but this shot may be even more helpfull. Pictures of the motor and gear box will be taken tomorrow when the courier delivers them,we will change the plans method of the drive chain by adding another bush to further support the wheels drive gear.

Note,we have three spare sets of engineering parts being fabricated now,place your order to get one soon.

Roy